Multiple Partner Fertility, Family Complexity, and Coparenting Among Never Married, Low-Income Fathers

A wealth of literature indicates that high levels of family instability negatively affects child wellbeing (Amato, 2005; Brown, 2010; Cavanagh & Huston, 2006; Cherlin, 2009; Cooper, Osborne & McLanahan, 2007). Unwed parenthood disproportionately subjects lower-income families to higher degrees of instability (Cherlin, 2014). Yet positive coparenting relationships between mothers and fathers can serve as a protective factor to support positive family relationships, and overall child well-being (Feinburg, 2003, Feinburg & Kan, 2008; Feinberg, Kan, & Heterington, 2007; Schoppe, Mangelsdorf, & Frosch, 2000). To date, few studies that have examined anything other than the mother-father coparenting relationship, despite the evidence that the majority of low income unmarried mothers identify another family member as being involved in childrearing (Jones, Shaffer, Forehand, Brody, & Armistead, 2003). Estimates suggest that nearly one in five fathers have children with more than one biological mother (Berger, Cancian & Meyer, 2012; Cancian & Meyer, 2011; Astone, & Peters, 2014). In such situations, coparents may be involved in a complex web of relationships with other adults who assume various parenting and coparenting responsibilities for children (Carlson, McLanahan, & Brooks-Gunn, 2008). This study examines the various coparenting relationships of never married, low-income fathers with their self-identified coparents: mothers, relatives, and any other non-paid caregivers. 

A convenience sample of 648 low income, nonresident fathers were recruited from six U.S. cities. Recruitment took place across 14 different programs that work with fathers (n = 216) and various other sites in high poverty neighborhoods (n= 432). The coparenting relationships measure was administered to a sample of 646 biological fathers. This extensive interview included other central constructs related to parenting such as: fathers’ challenges, quality of parent-child relationship, and frequency of father child contact.

Results indicate that a majority of fathers, even those with only one child, coparent with more than one adult. Father averaged 2.53 coparenting relationships, and most commonly named one of his children’s mothers as coparents. Fathers were more likely to list one of his own relatives as coparenting partner, rather than a relative of one of his children’s mothers. Mothers (grandmothers to the fathers’ children) were the most common relative to be named as a coparenting partner (25.13%); paternal grandfathers to the fathers’ children were second most likely to be named (5.86%). Our preliminary results indicate the number of adults in nonresident fathers’ coparenting networks may be an important predictor of fathers’ parenting attitudes. Further research should seek to understand the influence of multiple coparenting relationships on family functioning and child well-being.